Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2005-06: Carter Ashton was selected by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the first round (7th overall) of the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft.

2006-07: Ashton scored 28 goals with 38 assists and 99 PIM in 41 games for the Saskatoon Contacts in the SMHL. He made his WHL debut appearing in two games with the Hurricanes, posting no points and a -1 rating.

2007-08: In his first season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Ashton appeared in just 40 games due to an injury. He scored 5 goals with 4 assists and was -2 with 21 PIM. Ashton played in 19 playoff games and had 1 assist with 12 PIM and was -2 as the Hurricanes reached the WHL finals. He played for Canada Western in the World U-17 Challenge and had 1 goal with 5 assists and 2 PIM in six games.

2008-09: Ashton appeared in 70 games for the Lethbridge Hurricanes and had a breakout year in his draft season. He scored 30 goals with 20 assists and was -5 with 93 PIM. In the 2009 WHL playoffs, Ashton played in 11 games, with 1 goal and 2 assists and was -8 with 15 PIM as the Hurricanes defeated Saskatoon in a seven-game, first-round series before being swept by Calgary in the second round. Ashton played in the 2009 Top Prospects Game.

2009-10: Ashton attended the Lightning camp before returning to the WHL. After starting the season with Lethbridge, he was part of a multi-player trade in December that sent him to the Regina Pats. Ashton played 65 games between the two teams and scored 24 goals with 27 assists and was -13 with 109 PIM. Ashton made his pro debut following the season, as Regina failed to make the playoffs. IN 11 games with Tampa Bay’s AHL affiliate Norfolk, he scored 1 goal and was -3 with 6 PIM.

2010-11: Ashton appeared in two AHL playoff games for Norfolk after putting up 71 points in 66 WHL games during the junior season and skating for Canada at the 2011 U20 World Junior Championships. He was scoreless and -3 in his two-game stint with the Admirals. Ashton skated in 29 games for Regina before a mid-season trade to Tri-City in the WHL. He finished the WHL regular season with 33 goals and 38 assists and was -6 with 106 PMs. Ashton scored 12 of his 17 power play goals with Tri-City and in ten playoff games for the Americans he had 3 goals with 5 assists and was -1 with 4 PMs. In seven games with silver medal-winning Canada at the junior tournament he had 1 goal with 2 assists and was +1 with 6 PMs.

2011-12: Ashton made his NHL debut as a 20-year-old, skating in his first game in the Maple Leafs’ 3-2 loss at Pittsburgh on March 7th. Obtained from Tampa Bay in a trade for defenseman Keith Aulie, Ashton appeared in 15 games for the Leafs and was minus-10 with no points and 13 penalty minutes; averaging 10:25 minutes of ice time. He spent most of his first pro season in the AHL – scoring 19 goals with 16 assists and 58 penalty minutes in 56 games for Lightning affiliate Norfolk. In seven games with the Toronto Marlies following the trade he scored 2 goals with 1 assists and was minus-three with 8 penalty minutes. The Marlies finished first in the North Division and reached the AHL finals. Ashton appeared in six AHL playoff games – including all four in the final series against his former team – and was minus-two with 1 goal, 2 assists and 8 penalty minutes.

2012-13: Ashton spent his first full season in the Toronto organization with the AHL affiliate Marlies. He skated in 58 regular season games, missing 18 games due to a broken bone in his foot. Ashton scored 11 goals with 8 assists and was +5 with 67 penalty minutes. Toronto finished first in the North Division and reached the second round in the AHL playoffs. Ashton scored 3 goals with 2 assists and was -1 with 4 penalty minutes in nine playoff games.

2013-14: Ashton spent his third pro season shuffling between the Maple Leafs and the AHL — skating in 32 games for Toronto and spending the rest of the year with the AHL’s Marlies. Seeing mostly fourth line duty with the Leafs he had 3 assists and was +1 with 19 penalty minutes, averaging 6:16 minutes of ice time per game. Ashton was a nearly point-per-game scorer for the Marlies, finishing with 16 goals and 7 assists in 24 regular season games. He was +8 with 30 penalty minutes. Toronto finished first in the North Division and reached the Western Conference finals — falling to Texas in a seven-game series. Ashton scored 4 goals with 5 assists and was +3 with 16 penalty minutes in 12 playoff games. He was tendered a one-year two-way contract and re-signed with the Maple Leafs as a restricted free agent in July 2014.

2014-15: Ashton was with the Maple Leafs out of training camp but did not make his first game appearance until October 31st. He skated in three games for the Leafs before receiving a 20-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on PED substances. He played four games with the Leafs after the suspension before being returned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. He was -3 with no points nor penalties, averaging six minutes of ice time in seven NHL games. Ashton scored 4 goals with 4 assists and was -2 with 8 penalties in 12 games with the Marlies. In February 2014 Ashton was dealt along with David Broll to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a conditional draft pick, finishing the year with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. He scored 3 goals with 11 assists and was -6 with 61 penalty minutes in 29 regular season games and had an even plus/minus with no points and 7 penalty minutes in the Crunch’s three-game playoff series with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Talent Analysis

Ashton has good size and solid scoring instincts down low, but needs to make better use of his frame off the rush. He moves well up and down the ice, and is a willing physical combatant. A consistent scorer at the AHL level, he has been more of a lower line, two-way forward in the NHL to this point. Ashton is the son of former NHL winger Brent Ashton.

Future

Ashton played an energy/enforcer role for Tampa Bay AHL affiliate Syracuse, chipping in offensively, after being acquired by the Lightning following his suspension. He would become an unrestricted free agent if not tendered a contract offer from the Lightning by July 2015. A former first-round pick, he does not appear to have the offensive game nor skating skills to be a top-six forward at this point in his career. His size and willingness to compete suggest there may be some potential for him to reach the NHL in a lower line role. Expecting more than that at this point in Ashton's career may be overly optimistic.

Photo: Forward Frederik Gauthier was the first selection the Maple Leafs made in the 2013 NHL Draft. Gauthier is a big-bodied forward who plays a good two-way game. (courtesy of Chris So/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Slow and steady development remains the course of action for the Toronto Maple Leafs entering the 2013-14 season. With a patient approach to their draft picks over the last few seasons, the club is now in a large transition phase at the AHL level.

Photo: Forward Tyler Biggs was one of two players the Toronto Maple Leafs selected in first round of the 2011 NHL Draft. (Courtesy of Terry Wilson/OHL Images)

The Toronto Maple Leafs earned their first playoff berth in nine years after a successful 2012-13 season which saw them finish fifth overall in the East. Though the Leafs lost in a hard-fought first round series against the Boston Bruins, the future remains bright in Toronto, as they are finally at the end of a lengthy rebuild.

Photo: Kitchener Rangers forward Josh Leivo was one of several Toronto Maple Leafs prospects to join that club’s minor-league affiliate at the completion of the junior hockey season (courtesy of Terry Wilson/OHL Images)

Years of building the Toronto Maple Leafs from the ground up started to pay off for the club in the 2012-13 season. The Maple Leafs returned to the playoffs after a nine-year absence to play the Boston Bruins in round one. Toronto took Boston all the way to game seven and looked poised to head into the second round before a third period collapse changed everything. While it was a heartbreaking collapse which led to an overtime loss (and subsequent elimination) it provided a learning experience for a club which lacked playoff experience.

Photo: Defenseman Morgan Rielly maintains his spot as the top prospect for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Rielly was selected 5th overall by the Leafs in 2012. (courtesy of Abelimages/Getty Images)

The shortened 2012-13 NHL campaign has seen the Toronto Maple Leafs use a number of developed players throughout the season. Eight players who are 26 years old or younger, have suited up for the Maple Leafs this season – all of them playing vital roles for the Toronto Marlies earlier this season . This is a testament to the process the Maple Leafs have implemented in recent years to develop and promote more prospects.

Photo: Forward Joe Colborne is one of several Toronto Maple Leafs prospects who has NHL experience. (Fred Kfoury/Icon SMI)

The Toronto Maple Leafs' cupboard is no longer bare, though it is certainly lacking high caliber offensive forwards. In previous years, the Leafs have been known to make rash signings and trades, paying little to no attention to the quality and continuity of their pipeline. They renewed their focus on drafting and development several ago and are only now slowly beginning to reap the benefits.